


The Midwife's Destiny

by TheRubyStorm



Series: The Midwife's Stories [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Childbirth, F/M, Gen, Mpreg, Romance, Sequel, but lots of fluff moments, graphic birth, hetero mpreg, sorry i suck at tags, unassisted birth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 00:52:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17478155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRubyStorm/pseuds/TheRubyStorm
Summary: Sequel to 'The Midwife's Tale.'  Set after Avengers:Infinity WarRania's world has turned upside down.  Asgard is gone and Loki is nowhere to be found as she waits on Midgard for any kind of news.  When Loki shows up on her doorstep, the secret he reveals to her will affect the two of them in a way neither expected.





	The Midwife's Destiny

I missed home…

Of course, I understood the reason we couldn't return to Asgard. Our home had been completely destroyed, nothing left but piles of burning rubble. Still, there wasn't much to complain about. Thanks to the actions of Thor and Loki, we were alive. And if I had to admit it, Midgard was not such a terrible place to live. Loki had even made sure to personally choose accommodations for me; a home of my own where I was able to continue my skills as a midwife. Midgardian women did not seem to have the stamina of those on Asgard but they were for the most part a kind people and one I didn't mind attending to.

And then it happened. Thanos gained power of the infinity gauntlet and in wiping out half the population, half of the Asgardian people were now gone as well, leaving me wondering of who had managed to escape. Thor, Sigyn, the twins… Loki… Rumors were rampant over the fates of Thor and Loki. The possibility of any of them being lost to me, especially Loki, overwhelmed my every thought and left me rather restless most nights.

Yet there was something different about tonight. I knew when I was unable to fall asleep; unusual since I had been up for nearly the past 24 hours from a difficult delivery with a first time mother. My senses proved me right though when an urgent knock came from my front door. It never failed that someone would be looking for the midwife when all I wanted to do was rest. But nothing could have prepared me for the sight that greeted me when I opened the door.

 

“Hello Rania.” The familiar pale figure said quietly.

“Loki… You're alive…”

Before I could stop myself, I had rushed into his arms, feeling him tense at first only to relax as he returned the embrace. Wrapping my arms tighter around him and feeling him reciprocate, I felt tears prick at my eyes. It had been months since we last saw each other when we were brought to Midgard. And while he had not changed much physically since then, still as beautiful as the last time I'd seen him, there was definitely something different about him; a weight that he seemed to carry on his shoulders. I knew very well of the destruction Thanos had wrought. Last rumor we’d heard, he had killed Loki with his own hands. But now…

 

“May I come in?” He asked after a moment and only then did I remember myself.

“Oh! Yes of course. I'm sorry. Please come in.” I said quickly as I broke the embrace, stepping aside to let him in before shutting the door behind us.

Watching him look around my simple home, I struggled to discern the reason for his visit. Still, he seemed to avoid the unspoken question in the air, nodding to himself as if my tastes of design had earned his approval.

“You…look well Rani.” Loki said, seeming to struggle for words.

“And you.” I replied with a nod.

A few more uncomfortable moments of silence.

“How is the Lady Sigyn?”

There was no response as he quickly turned away.

“And your sons?” I continued, a horrible feeling in my throat.

Nothing again, yet I could almost swear he was trembling.

“They're gone…” he said finally.

“What?” I felt my stomach give a sickening flip. “You mean…?”

Only now did his eyes come to meet mine, tears flowing from his eyes. “They're dead. Sigyn, Váli, Narfi… They're all dead…”

 

As the admission finally came forth, the grief that he seemed to carry finally broke free, falling to his knees in violent sobs as I rushed to hold him in some meager attempt at comfort. It was several minutes before he composed himself enough to speak again.

“It was Thanos…” he muttered bitterly. “I’d decided to side with my brother against him and in return, Thanos slaughtered Sigyn and the twins… He'd tried to kill me as well but I managed to survive. I found their bodies a few hours later…”

I swallowed my own tears that threatened to spring forth, thinking of his young wife who had shown me such kindness and grieving for the lost potential of his children. “And what about Thor?” I asked. “He… he didn't…?”

He shook his head. “Thor is alive, though I am unaware of his whereabouts.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “And…Thanos?”

“Gone. I don't know where... I've been in hiding these past few months, slowly making my way to you.”

My heart breaking for him, I pulled him closer to me, a pang in my chest as he held to me tighter while his sobs slowly changed into deep breaths. Only once I was sure he had calmed did I speak what had been on my mind. “Loki, I cannot begin to comprehend the amount of grief you've gone through but I don't understand why you've come to me. Why not search for your brother or Dr. Banner?”

He pulled back to look at me with a sad smile. “Because you're the only one I know I can trust to help me finish what Sigyn and I started.” Noting my confusion, he slowly waved his hand over his stomach, melting away the charm he had placed to conceal the very familiar show of pregnancy.

 

“No… No you can't be…” I started.

He nodded. “I'm afraid so. I had no intentions of carrying another pregnancy, but it was her greatest wish that we have one more and I could hardly deny her. We couldn't have predicted the events of what happened after that.”

“No I suppose you couldn't.” I replied, shaking my head. “I guess the next question would be how far along are you? Judging by your size, you should be nearing the end.”

“My pangs began earlier this evening.” He said sheepishly.

“What?! Loki, why didn't you send a messenger for me or come for me sooner?”

“There was too much risk. The less that know my whereabouts, the better. Besides, you know my body nearly as well as I do. There's plenty of time.”

“I-I'll need to start preparing things.” I said aloud, more to myself than anything. “There's things that need to be done and I'll need to send for my assist…”

“No.” He said quickly. “No others.”

“What?”

“I don't want anyone else here for this Rania. Just you.”

“But Loki…”

Quickly, he took my hands in his. “I have every trust in you and your abilities to deliver this child. Just please, grant me this one request.”

Looking into his eyes, I let out a breath. This was against every gut feeling I had. Yet, after everything he had been through to this point, I knew I could not deny him now.

“Alright. As you command, my lord.”

 

 

* * *

 

After determining that he was still just over halfway there, the child thankfully head down, I set about changing the linens on my bed for the eventual delivery while Loki changed his garments into something more comfortable. Seeing him enter the room in one of the oversized tunics I kept, I couldn't help but smile at him.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Nothing.” I grinned. “It just brings me back, that's all. We've walked this road several times before.”

“Over half your life as a matter of fact.” He nodded with a smirk.

 

It was true; over fifteen years had passed since I was a girl of twelve in that stable, gently stroking his mane as he brought forth his firstborn, Slepnir.

“God, we were so young…” he added wistfully.

“ _I_ was so young.” I corrected. “You've hardly shown the years.”

“Believe me, I may not physically show it but the years have made their mark on me too.” He smiled as he brushed back a piece of my hair. “Age has suited you well Rani. You've grown into an absolutely beautiful…” His response tapered off as he turned to lean into a nearby table.

“Contraction?”

He nodded fiercely as he struggled for long, deep breaths, the wood groaning slightly under his grip. He extended his arm toward me. “Rani, could you…?”

 

Understanding what he wanted, I nodded. “Yes of course.” And just as quickly, he shifted over to me; his arms resting on my shoulders while his forehead pressed to mine.

“Loki, you're holding your breath.”

“Can't…help it…”

“Yes you can. Follow me. Deep breath in…and out… In….and out…”

Slowly but surely, he began to follow my cues and within a few moments, I could sense the pain ebbing away.

“See, you're doing just… Loki? Loki, what's wrong?”

He looked at me, his eyes filled with tears. “Sigyn…” he whimpered bitterly.

 

And at his reply, a felt a pang at my heart. This wasn't right and he knew it. She should have been here, to hold his hand, to wrap him in her embrace, to be the one to comfort him.

“I know.” I whispered, taking him into my arms and letting his head rest against my shoulder as I ran my fingers through his hair. “I’m not Sigyn. And I know I can never replace her. But I promise you, I will do my best to be everything I can for you through this. Not just your midwife, but your friend. And I hope that'll be enough.”

Pulling away, he smiled at me and left a tender kiss on my cheek. “That's more than enough.”

And in that moment, I felt something else pull at my heart that was different than anything I'd felt before.

 

* * *

 

Loki paced for the next two hours, walking as much as he could between contractions only to stop to rotate his hips as they hit their peak and shrug it off with a grunt as it ebbed away before walking again. Pace, sway, grunt… Pace, sway, grunt… The whole thing was almost comical as I realized he was settling back into a familiar routine that he had traveled before. Somewhere, the exhaustion of the past 24 hours had finally started to catch up with me, so after an exam revealed him to be at 9 centimeters, I was more than a little relieved when Loki drifted towards the bed as he tried to get some rest before delivery.

 

“They seem to be spacing out…”

“You've probably made it over transition.” I replied, bringing some water for him to drink. “The herb I gave you should be helping with some of the pain too. Best to try to rest while you still have the time. It won't be much longer now.”

He slowly nodded his agreement, letting out a sound of frustration at his hair now nearly plastered to his neck from sweat.

“Here, let me.” I replied, gathering the majority of the black strands into a loose braid and felt a sudden embarrassment at this familiarity. “I'm afraid I'm not very good at this.”

“It's more than enough dear. Thank you…” he smirked back at me as my breath caught in my throat. All these years and that smile still always left me weak. Plus the fact he'd called me ‘Dear’ hadn't been lost on me. As he settled to lay down in a comfortable position, I moved to leave the room to give him some quiet, but he instead took my hand.

“Where are you going?”

“I thought I'd leave you to get some rest.”

“Stay with me. Please.”

 

Nodding my agreement, I made my way to the other side of the bed, hearing him hiss with another contraction as I settled in. Without thinking, I grabbed hold of his hands in an attempt to help him focus.

“Look at me. Just keep breathing. You're almost at the end.”

Feeling his fingers entwine with mine, I looked into his eyes expecting that intense gaze I knew so well but instead finding a softness to them that I had never seen before. One that I had only seen him give to Sigyn…and it was almost uncanny. Even after the pain of the contraction began to fade away, his stare never turned from me, a deafening silence between us.

“Loki, what is it? Why are you staring at me like…?”

 

And before I realized what had happened, he suddenly pressed his lips against mine in a passionate kiss; my mind racing at the sensation. This couldn't be what I wished it was. Yes, I loved him; I'd loved him for years. But I knew what we were. I knew it could never be. And he'd been through so much already; the loss of his wife, his children, and now once again going through the throws of labor. I understood now. He was looking for the support that Sigyn would be giving him and I was the closest thing. Still, if this was what would help him, I would gladly and leaned further into his kiss, letting myself go to the feelings I'd felt for him for so long. Just for today, I could be that person for him. Just for today, I could pretend he was mine and this was our child. Almost as quickly as it started, it was over and as he pulled away, the smile on his face was almost euphoric.

 

“I do hope you'll forgive me,” he started. “But I've been wanting to do that for a long time.”

‘Definitely the labor talking…’ I thought as I turned my face away to hide the heat that had burned its way onto my cheeks in a blaze.

“Have I offended you?” He asked, concern lacing his voice.

“Not at all. Surprised, but definitely not offended.” I replied honestly with a smile that shifted into a yawn.

He looked at me with mock offense. “Are my kisses that unimpressive that they lull you into sleep?”

I chuckled. “Of course not. But between you and my patient from the prior evening, I've been up for well over a full day now. You may have the ability to stay up for days but my body's demanding rest.”

He brushed the hair from my cheek. “Well, then you must rest.”

“I can't. You're nearly ready to deliver and I…”

“And you won't be at your best to help me if you keep up like this.” He insisted with a kiss to my forehead. “I know my body well enough. Get some sleep. I'll wake you when it's time."

And knowing that there'd be no arguing with him, I settled down into the blankets, Loki’s slender fingers running through my hair as I drifted into a restless sleep wondering of what had just taken place between us.

 

* * *

 

The sound was slight but just as a mother knows the cry of her child, I knew its familiarity.

A few deep breaths, silence, and the letting out of air in a rush before it started again.

Still half asleep, I struggled to make sense of why I was hearing it now and then it all came back to me in a rush. Loki…

 

My eyes flying open in realization, I nearly bolted up in bed to find Loki deep in the concentration of a push, his eyes locked with a mirror he had obviously materialized at the foot of the bed where the top of the baby's head was already starting to come into view as he'd bear down.

“I thought you were going to wake me when it was time.” I said in annoyance as I struggled to throw the covers of myself.

Letting out the spent breath at the end of the contraction, he smiled a mischievous grin at me as he proceeded to remove the tunic attached to him from sweat while I tried not to stare at his suddenly nude form. “You were absolutely exhausted my dear. I felt you needed your rest. Besides, after delivering five children, this whole experience has become rather routine for me, has it not?” He replied, his hands rubbing affectionately over his exposed mound of a belly.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling back at his response. In process of giving birth and still one for a quip.

 

“Well I suppose if it's that routine for you, I assume you won't be needing my services then.” I teased.

“Of course I need you Rani. There's no one else I'd want here for this.”

“You're quite the groveler aren't you?” I said as I started to move towards the foot of the bed to assist with the delivery but he stopped me before I could.

“I'd rather you behind me.”

“But the baby…”

“You're nearby enough where you can step in if you need to. I'd much rather you supporting me instead.”

 

It was a different request than what I was used to hearing from my patients, but one I didn't feel unreasonable. So with a nod, I made my way to sit behind him; straddling his body between my legs as he leaned back against me and I relished the feeling of his warm body relaxing against mine. Without thinking, I brought my hands to rest on the tight skin of his stomach and smiled as he covered my hands with his while I felt a definite foot press into my hand. I still remembered the days when I could barely get near him this deep in labor; now he let me in without hesitation, a trust he shared with so few and one that I didn't take for granted.

I felt him give my hand a squeeze. “I'm really glad you're here for this Rani.”

“I am too Loki. I am too…” I said softly, a tear forming deep in my heart.

 

Within moments, I could feel him tensing in my arms as the skin under my hands went rock hard, signaling what I knew was the start of the next contraction.

“Don't fight it Loki.” I said as I helped prop him up. “You know how this works. Legs apart, deep breath and bear down.”

Somewhere, I felt him nod his agreement and just as quickly, he was gone in the throws of a push, me holding my breath as well as if it could actually help this child to come faster. For the next hour, we worked like this as with each push, more and more of the child would slowly come into view. I couldn't help but think back to his previous births I had attended and how different each one had been. Several, he had been in animal forms, Hela’s birth had nearly killed him and Narfi’s had been one of his more intense. This time however, there was an easygoing spirit about the whole thing. His focus would be deep through contractions, but the times between were surprisingly calm with Loki actually wanting to chat between pushes or just being content to let his head rest against my shoulder to let the contractions work on their own while he focused on conserving his energy for when he really needed it. I couldn't help but feel that he knew this would be one of the last children he'd bring to birth and wanted to let it happen as it may.

 

Minutes later however, things began happening very quickly as during one especially hard contraction, Loki threw his head back against me and screamed; the first time I'd heard him scream since coming here. My eyes flew to the mirror where I could see the baby's head nearly about to crown and the furthest down I'd seen it so far.

“Come on Loki. Don't let the this contraction go to waste. You're so close but you have to push.” I said intently.

Somewhere, I assume my instructions made contact as he grabbed my hands once again and bore down, managing to chase the tail end of the contraction with a push that brought the baby's head to fully crowning. Spent, he fell back against my chest.

“Please tell me it's staying there…” he moaned as he tried to catch his breath before the next urge.

“Don't worry. After that push, I don't think this baby would dare go back in now.” I chuckled. “Just try to breathe for a bit; give your body a chance to stretch.”

 

While waiting for the next one, I watched the mirror as Loki reached down to touch the crown of his child's head; that same look of euphoria coming back as his fingers rested on a head of jet black hair that was sure to match his.

“You know, there's nothing quite like this feeling Rani…” Loki breathed.

“I can only imagine.”

And then the next words out of his mouth floored me.

“Do you want to feel?”

 

I hardly knew what to respond to his question. This wasn't something I had never done before; my hands were the first to touch many a child on the verge of being born, but this was a different thing entirely. To take part in such a intimate manner when the child was not even mine was something I had never considered, yet a ‘Yes’ escaped my lips before I had the chance to think twice. Gingerly, I let him take my hand in his and as my hand made contact with the child still inside of him, I finally realized that I was trembling. Visions of Loki’s previous births flashed through my mind; watching each of his children come into this world and the feelings it brought forth in me. But the feelings for this delivery were sending me near to bursting with emotion; an affection for this child that I had never realized I could feel and an even greater one for him.

Almost on impulse, I tenderly kissed his cheek and made no resistance as he turned to kiss my lips, our kiss now without any hesitation from me as I reciprocated in kind. After a few moments, he stopped to look at me with concern.

“Rania, you're crying.”

Only now did I realize the remnants of tears on my cheeks.

“I suppose I am.” I sniffed.

“What is it love?”

This was it. There was no turning back.

“Loki, I know this isn't the best time to say this but I have to tell you. I…”

 

A tense of pain broke the moment as he let out a groan with start of the next contraction and I held my tongue. Not now. There were more important tasks at hand.

“What is it?” He managed to ask between pants.

“Nothing that can't wait until later.” I replied. “For now, let’s get this child into the world safely. Do you want me to get over there?”

Quickly, he shook his head no. “Stay… with me… Just…talk me through it…”

“For now, you need to support the baby's head and just gentle pushes to ease it out.”

 

Nodding, I watched him give in to another push, the same control I remembered from his previous delivery coming back as he slowly worked to bring this child earthside, giving his body time to stretch as more of its features became visible until the head emerged fully in his hands to a moan that sounded a mix between pain and pleasure.

Letting the rest of the contraction ride out, he brought his head back to rest on my shoulder, his breaths long and deep as his hands still rested atop the babe’s head.

“I forgot how amazing that feels…” He smiled as we waited for it to turn for the rest of the delivery.

“You're doing fantastically.” I nodded as I kissed his temple. “I hate to say it, but you're a natural at this.”

“Well there was bound to be something.” He chuckled as it turned into a moan. “Here comes another one…”

 

Before I could tell him what to do next, he was already moving; his hands reaching for the tiny form as we both watched one shoulder emerge, followed by the other. And as the rest easily followed, the babe was quickly pulled up to his chest where it immediately let out a healthy wail. Beaming, Loki turned his head to look at me.

“Rani, it's a girl! I just had a girl!” He choked out through happy tears, his voice filled with emotion.

The smile on my face was nearly as wide as his as I reached to touch the little form as she gave her lungs their first bit of exercise; a tiny thing, but already with a full head of dark hair like her father and little touches of Sigyn in her face.

 

“Asta…” He said after a moment.

“What?”

“Her name.” He replied as he brought her to his chest to allow her to nurse. “I want to name her Asta. It means ‘devine beauty.’ With any luck, she'll take after Sigyn.”

I chuckled as I gave him a kiss. “I don't know. I don't think it would be such a terrible thing for her to take after you.”

As happy as I was to see that she was healthy, I couldn't help but be bothered at how small she was. She was absolutely full term by Loki's supposed date of conception, but smaller than his previous child at birth by almost a third. Not to mention that with the size of Loki's belly when he arrived earlier that evening, she should have been much larger. Before I could contemplate it further though, Loki let out a groan of pain that felt too strong for him preparing to pass the afterbirth. And as he turned to me, I could tell he realized it too.

“Something's wrong…” he moaned.

 

He made no objection now of me moving from behind him to the foot of the bed where I was greeted with, not a growing puddle of blood, but clear liquid soaking into the padding beneath him.

“I'm going to have to do an exam to see what's going on. Just try to keep your body relaxed.”

Nodding his agreement, I quickly set about the exam to try to figure out what was wrong. He wasn't bleeding out which I was grateful for, but his contractions were far too strong to be for the placenta.

And then I felt it.

And as the color drained from my face, I looked up at Loki.

“Why didn't you tell me you were having twins?”

 

His already pale skin went even more white. “What are you talking about? I can't be...”

“Apparently you can because I can feel the top of its head.”

In complete shock, he let his head fall back into the pillows I had put behind him. “This can't be happening…”

“Well, you don't have a lot of time. The head’s right here and you're already fully dilated. Next contraction, I need you to push. Let Asta keep nursing as long as she wants; it'll help your body contract.”

 

The first twin having paved the way, it was only a few pushes before the second child's head started making an appearance. I let out a breath of relief; at least things seemed to be progressing normally and Loki was holding up well all things considered. Shock of an unexpected second child had already faded as Loki would rub his still large belly between contractions with one hand while cradling Asta in the other, speaking words to the child inside him that only he could hear as it fully crowned. But as the head finally emerged, my heart sank as I realized the cord was tightly wrapped around the baby's neck. Quickly, I had him stop pushing to give me a chance to loosen the cord but when attempts were proving unsuccessful, I quickly turned to him.

“The cord’s too tight. I need to go ahead and clamp it off so we can cut it and release the pressure on the neck.”

His agreement was immediate. “Do whatever you have to. Just save my baby…”

Thankfully, I had grabbed the supplies I needed ahead of time for such a possibility and with some difficulty, I was able to cut off the cord before it tightened any further.

“We’re clear. Now you've got to push.”

“But there's no contraction…” he protested, the stress and exhaustion starting to show.

“I've already cut the cord so the baby's not receiving oxygen. This baby needs to be born and it needs to be born now. Now push!”

He needed no further convincing as he bore down the hardest I had seen him so far and with a slight shift, the rest of the baby's body slid out quickly into my hands in only one push.

“It's another girl!” I exclaimed only to realize to my horror that the baby wasn't breathing.

 

Loki picked up on it just as quickly as he gasped for breath from exhaustion. “She's not crying. Why isn't she crying?”

“She just needs a little help to get going.” I said quickly, rubbing her down in an attempt to stimulate her breathing.

“You've got to do something!” Loki cried out, nearly hysterical. “You've got to save her!”

“I'm doing everything I can. But you've got to stay calm and let me try!” I shot back, nearly on the verge of hysterics myself. That seemed to quiet him enough to let me work with some form of silence. When stimulation didn't work, I started flicking the bottom of her feet.

“Come on baby. Don't do this to me. You've got a father and sister here who need you…” I pleaded.

Loki said nothing as he watched, a moan escaping his throat while Asta began to fuss; very much aware of her father's distress as her sister's body remained deathly still.

“It's over…” Loki said quietly. “She's gone.”

 

Looking up at Loki's devastated face, my heart broke. He had already lost so much of his family already and now this one… No… That couldn't happen. It wouldn't happen if I could help it. In one last attempt, I quickly ran my finger through her mouth to clear her airway and blew a gentle breath into her mouth. Then a second. And just as I was about to try a third time, her face scrunched up with distain and she let out a cry; small but it was there.

And as I felt my heart start once again, Loki was ecstatic and already reaching for her which I quickly brought her to his chest. Hearing her cries increase in volume, only now did I allow myself to cry; feelings of ecstasy, relief, pure emotion and anxiety of those past few minutes releasing themselves in pure sobs. Loki taking my hand was what brought me back to the present, tears streaming freely down his cheeks as well.

We'd made it.

 

* * *

 

A few hours later, I moved to lay closer to him in my large bed; Asta sound asleep in my arms while little Eira, a name meaning ‘merciful’ as we considered her survival an act of mercy, quietly finished her first meal. The prior chaos of the early morning had given away to a restful calm. Both babies were perfectly healthy and Loki had made it through the rest of the delivery without incident. I couldn't help but smile at how domestic it all was, especially as Loki held me closer with his free arm to kiss the top of my forehead.

“I'll never be able to thank you enough for this.” Loki said quietly into my hair, his eyes never leaving the babe drifting off to sleep at his chest. “If you hadn't been there, I wouldn't have… She wouldn't have…”

“You don't have to say it.” I interrupted to keep him from upsetting further. “The important thing is that the three of you are safe. That's all that matters.”

“But for how long?” He asked, a trace of bitterness to his voice and I knew what he meant. As long as Thanos lived, their lives would constantly be in danger.

 

“So what do you think we should do now?” I asked. “Thanos is eventually going to figure out that you're still alive.”

“I know. He's too powerful to take on my own, even with my abilities. The only thing I can do now is to try to live a normal life here, blend in with the Midgardians until my brother and the others return.”

“You're sure they'll return?”

“I can't let myself think otherwise.”

Slowly, I let out a breath. As much as I didn't like it, I knew he was right. Hiding on Midgard was going to be their best chance of survival.

“So what do you think you're going to do?”

“If I'm going to survive here, I'll have to find some sort of work; something I have experience in.” He raised a mischievous eyebrow to me. “Maybe as your assistant.”

The look he gave me made me laugh out loud. “I hate to tell you this Loki, but Midgardian women are rather peculiar about men being involved that are not their husbands.”

“Even with my experience?”

“Especially with your experience.” I laughed again. “Odin help me if I had to explain your seven deliveries to them, half in animal form. Besides, how am I supposed to explain why I've suddenly taken on a new apprentice that's an absolute stranger to them?”

“Would it make a difference if I were your husband?” He said suddenly.

 

At his question, I felt my heart leap into my throat. “H-Husband?”

Slowly, Loki turned to me, his eyes soft. “Rania, I owe you so much.”

“Loki, if you're asking me this because you feel you owe me something for saving Eira…” I started.

“Please Rani, I need to say this.” He said as he took my hand. “This has nothing to do with my children. Or maybe it has everything to do with them. Listen, you've been part of my life for so long now and in that time, you've seen me at my best and my worst, my strongest and my most weak. And you've been by my side through all of it without hesitation, without judgement, and without fear. You accepted my children despite the opinions of others and accept me even for all my faults.”

“You say that like I've done something unheard of.”

“Not unheard of, but rare. It's something very precious to me and one I've learned to recognize when someone extends that kind of love towards me.”

 

At the mention of ‘love’, I could feel my ears warm.

“That's what you were going to say earlier, wasn't it?” He asked. “That you love me.”

I felt my throat tighten as tears began in my eyes. “Of course I do… I always have. But…”

“But?”

“Look who we are Loki. You're one of royalty, a prince, a warrior, and I'm nothing but a servant. You deserve someone of your caliber who'd be a compliment to you, of the quality that Sigyn was.”

“But love…” he sighed as he brushed the tears from my face. “You don't need to hold yourself to such an unnecessarily high standard when it doesn't need to be. I know what I am by birth, but those things don't matter here. I'm not Loki, prince of Asgard here. I'm only Loki Laufeyson, a man who loves you back with every fiber of his being and one that would be honored to be allowed by your side as your mate. That is, if you'll have me.”

 

Only now did I allow myself to believe him. No longer clouded by the pain of labor, I could finally believe everything he said was true. And the tear in my heart finally began to mend. Our history together danced in my head, but visions of our future quickly joined them; doing the work I loved with the one I love by my side, watching Asta and Eira growing up together with children of our own joining them, and to be fighting side by side with him as the threat looming over us was eradicated for good. My answer was obvious and one that I wasn't going to let go without saying for a moment longer.

Tenderly, I kissed his lips. “Of course I will. With all of my heart.”

**Author's Note:**

> Can't believe I wrote a second part to this! I've always been especially fond of this story and its characters so it was nice to revisit it again. 
> 
> Also, would anyone potentially be interested in a third part to this series? ;)
> 
> If so, please give me your thoughts on what you'd like to see happen. I'd love to hear your opinions!


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